Hill Spins Gem For Amarillo

Amarillo, Texas (July 22, 2023) – Jamison Hill was tremendous on the bump for Amarillo as the Sod Poodles took a 3-1 series lead over Wichita. The Amarillo right-hander allowed just three hits and struck out five over his seven innings on Friday.

The offense gave Hill an early lead to work with. A.J. Vukovich sent an opposite-field solo shot in the bottom of the first inning to put Amarillo up 1-0. Hill allowed just three baserunners to reach through the first three innings of work but didn't allow any of them to advance into scoring position.

The first Wichita player to reach scoring position came in the top of the fifth. A two-out double became a non-factor as Hill struck out the very next batter he faced to preserve the one-run lead.

Amarillo finally added some insurance in the bottom of the seventh. Being held to just three hits through the first six innings, Ivan Melendez singled to start the frame. Deyvison De Los Santos then tripled down the right-field line to give Amarillo a two-run lead. A strikeout gave Wichita a decision to make. They decided to intentionally walk Juan Centeno to put runners on the corners with a chance to get out of the inning with a double play. Instead, J.J. D'Orazio plated De Los Santos with a sac fly and gave Amarillo a three-run cushion.

Hill's night came to an end with Will Mabrey taking the ball to start the top of the eighth. A leadoff home run cut the advantage to two runs before the left-hander retired each of the next three batters that he faced.

Mabrey then worked into some trouble to start the top of the ninth. A single and walk preceded a sac bunt to put the potential tying run into scoring position. The second walk of the inning loaded the bases but also sent a lefty to the plate in a lefty-lefty situation for Mabrey. An infield single scored Wichita's second run of the night and would also be the last batter Mabrey would face. Gerald Ogando took over on the mound and inherited a bases-loaded situation. The right-hander would induce a double play to secure at worst a series split for Amarillo as they were able to take game four of the series 3-2.

Amarillo will go for the series win over the final two games. The weekend at HODGETOWN continues with World Of Wizards night on Saturday night. LHP Yu-Min Lin will make his second Double-A start after tossing six scoreless innings in his Double-A debut last Sunday against Frisco. The D-backs' no. 10-rated prospect tied an Amarillo season-high with eight strikeouts in his debut. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

NOTES:

JING-HILL BELL ROCKS: Jamison Hill tied his career-high with his 7.0 IP on Friday night. The former Fresno State Bulldog now has three games in his 47-game career going 7.0 IP with two coming in his last five starts. It was the first time in his career going more than 5.0 IP without a run against him. He also tied his career-high by winning his third consecutive start. Over his last seven starts, Hill is now 5-0 with a 3.69 ERA and joins Luke Albright and Deyni Olivero for the team lead with his five wins on the year.

VUK TRACKER: A.J. Vukovich scored the game's first run with a solo home run in the bottom of the first. It was his team-leading 17th home run of the year which also ties his career-high for home runs in a single season. The D-backs' no. 11-rated prospect slugged 17 home runs a season ago with High-A Hillsboro. His 17 home runs are now second-most in the D-backs farm system this year, trailing current teammate Ivan Melendez who has 23 this year.

UNDER THE CHRISTMAS THREE: Deyvison De Los Santos has now hit safely in his last nine games after a RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh. It was just the fifth triple of De Los Santos' professional career. It was his first triple since July 14, 2022, when he was with Low-A Visalia. Over his last nine games, the D-backs' no. 4-rated prospect is hitting .405 (15-for-37) with a double, triple, two home runs, and nine RBI since June 29. This is the longest hit streak of his career since July 8-28, 2022 when he hit safely in 14 consecutive games.

SANTA LAWS: Jordan Lawlar was one of five Amarillo players to record a hit on Friday night. The D-backs' no. 1-rated prospect now has a hit in each of his last five games, and 28 of his last 33 dating back to June 3rd. Over his first 11 games in July, Lawlar is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with a hit in all but one game so far this month.

OGAND HO HO HO: Gerald Ogando earned his first Double-A save after inducing a game-ending double play against the lone man he faced in the bottom of the ninth. It was the fourth save of his professional career which now spans 101 games for the 22-year-old. His last save came on June 15 earlier this year when he was pitching for the rookie-level Arizona Complex League D-backs. In seven relief appearances to begin his Double-A career, Ogando has spun five scoreless games and has a 3.12 ERA. In 8.2 IP, he has allowed just eight hits and has 13 strikeouts.